Actor Pyo Ye-jin shared her thoughts on being with "Taxi Driver" through season 3 over five years.
Recently Pyo Ye-jin conducted an end-of-series interview for the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Taxi Driver 3" at a cafe in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. "Taxi Driver 3" started at 9.5% and recorded a peak rating of 14.2% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide households), proving its continued popularity. In response Pyo Ye-jin said, "I had a great time filming season 3. I knew people had high expectations, so I hoped many would watch it, but I was really happy people liked it and I enjoyed it throughout the broadcast," expressing pride.
"Taxi Driver," which released its first season in 2021, built a solid fan base and continued the series to season 3 thanks to intense interest and love. When asked if that created pressure, Pyo Ye-jin said, "I received so much love that I wanted to live up to the support and expectations; I didn't want to disappoint," while adding, "the script was so fun and it was fun on set, so I thought viewers would enjoy it and I wanted to go in with a mindset of enjoying it."
"Taxi Driver 3" is a private revenge agency drama in which the taxi company Rainbow Transport, shrouded in mystery, and taxi driver Kim Do-gi (Lee Je-hoon) complete revenge on behalf of wronged victims. In the story Pyo Ye-jin played An Go-eun, an accounting department employee of "Rainbow Transport." When asked what she paid attention to in portraying the character through season 3, Pyo Ye-jin confessed, "I worried most about how to show the changes since time must have passed for the character during this period."
She said, "I thought the character should take work more seriously and show a professional side that helps the team. Because Go-eun seemed that way, I styled her with a bob to look more active and mature. What I paid most attention to was that previously there were many questions like, 'What should we do about driver Kim Do-gi?' Now I wanted to set the tone so she would be a reliable partner who seeks out solutions first, tells him if she's curious, and consults with Kim Do-gi rather than asking questions. I don't know if that was visible, but I wanted to make Go-eun more mature."
Her alternate personas were also approached more actively. Pyo Ye-jin said, "In season 2 I hesitated a bit and though I threw myself into the alternate persona, there were scenes where I thought, 'I can't do this.' In season 3 I felt Go-eun became a bit more proactive. I worked extremely hard and ambitiously with the mindset that if I could help the team I would do it. Since I had seen how far Do-gi oppa would go in every episode, I thought if I was going to do it once I should do it properly, which fit the Rainbow Transport team play tone. Also, if I didn't go that far the villains might not believe it, so I felt over-the-top alternate-persona play would be realistic. I thought a lot about every alternate persona from costumes to concept and filmed them," she said, describing her personal effort.
Having worked together for five years, she said a family-like closeness formed with the Rainbow Transport members. Pyo Ye-jin revealed her affection, "Even when we're not on set we often eat together during regional shoots, spend time together, and our group chat is active. We've become personally much closer. It's a meaningful project that gave me precious people."
Asked about fans who support the love line between Kim Do-gi, played by Lee Je-hoon, and her character, Pyo Ye-jin said frankly, "I'm so thankful people view their relationship prettily. But I didn't act with romantic feelings. Still, it's beyond being just cherished like family; there's a special quality that surpasses that. I haven't experienced such a relationship in real life, so it's hard to define, but for Go-eun it's probably the most precious and special person in her life. And right now there's no time to think about romantic feelings; even if she doesn't, this person is already so special and precious that she worries about him most and trusts him the most. I think this might be another form of love."
Meanwhile, Pyo Ye-jin had the honor of winning the excellence award at the SBS Drama Awards for two consecutive years as An Go-eun in "Taxi Driver," following season 2 through season 3. She said, "I received it last season so I honestly didn't expect to get it again and was so surprised. I tried to do my best for my character, but on set other people always worked so hard that I felt a bit apologetic. I was often in the call van so I thought I might have had an easier time filming, but I felt grateful that they said, 'You worked hard,' and I also reflected, 'Did I do well?'" she said of her feelings.
Asked to self-assess her growth from continuing the "Taxi Driver" series, she said cautiously, "Having reached season 3 I know the character so well that I'm not sure if I can say I've grown. I've spent a long time with the character, and because the Rainbow Transport people are so comfortable, it was nice to be freer on set," while adding, "I want to experience more to see whether it's just this set and this character or whether I've become an actor who can perform with more confidence and freedom on other sets in the future."
Describing season 3 as "a season that's especially precious to me," Pyo Ye-jin said, "Reaching season 3 itself is an amazing thing, and honestly I haven't seen season 4. No matter how much love it gets, I wondered, 'Is season 4 realistically possible?' I thought I should enjoy being on set with such good people even if this season were the end. I don't know when this moment will come again, so it was precious."
Asked about the possibility of producing season 4, Pyo Ye-jin answered frankly, "I haven't heard anything yet." If an offer for season 4 came, she immediately replied, "If there's such an opportunity, of course I'd do it," adding, "there are many realistic issues beyond our control, so we thought, 'Is it possible? It could be difficult,' but we did talk among the actors that 'it would be wonderful' if it happened."
She continued, "The Rainbow Transport members have become so precious to each other that we were very sad thinking that moments of being all together might never return. It had never happened before, but on the last day of filming, Lee Je-hoon oppa and senior Kim Eui-sung finished their morning shoots early yet couldn't leave and lingered for a long time. Only the lead actors and I (Jang Hyuk-jin, Bae Yu Ram) filmed into the night, but Lee Je-hoon and Kim Eui-sung followed us to the next location to say goodbye, took group photos, and said, 'This taxi company is ending.' They couldn't bring themselves to leave. Later we told them, 'Now go!' and sent them off. It felt really sad and a bit disappointing," she said, sharing bittersweet feelings.
After saying goodbye to "Taxi Driver 3," Pyo Ye-jin has no confirmed next project and said, "There are so many things I want to do. I like stories about people living their lives, so a warm human drama would be good, and I'd like to do a proper romance suitable for my age. Or I want to try a sweeping melodrama with wide emotional range and difficult narrative," adding, "action isn't something anyone can do when you see it on set. I've always wanted to do it well, so if I get the chance to do action next time I'd like to properly train with a stunt team and do it well," expressing ambition.
When asked whether doing the "Taxi Driver" series changed her criteria or mindset for selecting projects, she said, "I always like new things and want to keep challenging myself. As an actor I think being new is important, so that was a priority. That's still an important factor for me, but doing 'Taxi Driver' made me proud to participate in a work that gives people this kind of message. So I realized it's important not to look only at whether a character is personally challenging but to consider why the work exists and what it wants to say."
She said, "Especially these days people like stimulating content and watch a lot of short-form videos. I know well that it's not easy to invest a full hour. This project made me realize how important it is to tell a story that makes people spend an hour watching."
Because the "Taxi Driver" series is a dark hero story that punishes evil, personal moral responsibility naturally grows beyond acting. Pyo Ye-jin joked, "It made me think I should live by the law," then said, "What's really strange is that while doing this work I often felt like I was someone who could 'do something' even though I'm not really part of Rainbow Transport. In reality I'm not Go-eun, but doing this project brought a lot of social attention, and I think I became someone who wants to be able to offer even a small support."
When asked about her New Year goals or plans for 2026, Pyo Ye-jin hoped, "Personally I want to try something new through a good project. I wish other aspects of my daily life remain uneventful. I hope I can work hard at what I can do within a healthy and uneventful daily life and show new and good sides of myself."
About the final episode of "Taxi Driver 3," which would be released after the interview, she left an impression, "I like that it ends with an open ending. I hope people remember that Rainbow Transport is somewhere continuing to do something." When asked how she wants viewers to remember "Taxi Driver 3," she said, "'Taxi Driver' is a work that says you are not alone. We (Rainbow Transport) are always there for people who are pushed to the edge. Rainbow Transport solves problems decisively, but simply listening to someone creates another chance. I hope someone watching 'Taxi Driver' will have hope that someone like us could be by their side, and I hope it becomes a work that makes people look around them. I think that alone conveys the meaning of 'Taxi Driver.'"
She added, "We didn't reach season 3 just because people liked it a bit. It was a season created by many viewers, and I'm so grateful because it feels completed thanks to that much love. Thanks to that I think I was even happier. Living as Go-eun was so fun and I had many experiences, so I'll repay the love by showing better new sides. 'Taxi Driver' is always fun to watch, so I hope people will rewatch it a lot in the future," she offered as a final farewell.
[photo] Secret ENT
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